Portable fire-extinguisher.



P. G. MACGHEGOR.

PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION FILED 0m15.191s.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916'.-`

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P. G. MACGREGOR.

PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I5, I9I3.

Patented Oct. 31,1916.

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PETER G. MACGREGOR, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO PYRENE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A' CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

PORTABLE FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

Application led October 15, 1913.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PETER G. MACGR'EGOR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a portable fire extinguisher of the type wherein the liquid is forced out by gas pressure generated by chemical action when the device is operated.

The object of the invention is to provide a fire extinguisher of the class describedV wherein the generation of the gas is accomplished in the shortest possible time and the operation renderedpositive and efficient.`

In carrying out the invention a suitable container is provided for the fire extinguishing liquid. In this container is placed a small container filled with an acid. Releasing means are provided for liberating the acid and a number of small receptacles each containing a salt are relatively positioned so that the acid when liberated acts simultaneously upon the several small masses of salt, thus generating a large volume of gas in a short period of time. yThe gas pressure so generated operates to force the fire extinguishing liquid from the container through a suitable pipe, by means of which it is d1- rected upon the fire. f

The above and other features of this invention will be more fully described hereinafter in connection with the description of the fire extinguisher shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating one of the operative embodiments of the same.

In the drawings like parts in the several views have been given the same reference numerals.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of.

1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional plan viewy on the line G-Gof Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the salt receptacles. Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 7.

A container 1 for the fire extinguishingy liquid may be of any suitable shape, prefer- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Serial No. 795,252.

ably cylindrical in form and provided with a removable handle 2 at its upper end. An operating handle 3 is attached to a stem 4; extending through a suitable packing to the interior of the upper portion of the container l. The stem 4.- is attached at its lower end to a supporting frame 5 which is connected by means of three upright members 6, to a lower frame 7 which carries a knife edge 8. The small container 9 filled with an acid is carried in the frame 5-6-7 upon small projections, such as 10, on the upright members 6.

A closed cylindrical member 11 is provided with a removable cap 12 which issecu'red to the upper portion of the container 1, as shown in Fig. 1. The cylindrical member 11 extends downwardly from the acid container 9. A number of pins, such as 13, project downwardly from the cap 12 and are provided at their lower ends with sharp points or knife edges adjacent to the upper end of the acid container 9. The cap 12 is provided with a number of valves 14, shown in Figs. 1 and 5, which are normally held closed'by means of flat springs l5 attached at 16 to the cap 12.

A number of receptacles, such as 17, are mounted upon a vertical stem 18, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, one above the other, and positioned in the cylinder 11, as shown in Fig. 1. These receptacles are filled with a salt from which the gas is generated when acted upon by the acid. rI`he receptacles 17 are preferably provided with a series of notches and holes around their upper edge in order to allow acid to iiow readily from one receptacle to the other and thus act simultaneously upon the salt contained in the several receptacles. These receptacles are preferably, as shown, of substantially equal 'i diameter to the cylinder, which prevents the acid flowing too far outwardly from the edges of the receptacles, so that the cylinder may be said to constitutea conduit to conduct or direct the flow of the acid successively to the. different receptacles.

The several parts of the fire extinguisher just described normally stand in the position shown in Fig.' l, but when it is desired to operate the same the handle 3 is pulled up, as indicated in Fig. 2, raising the frame 5-6-7 carrying the container 9 and causingy the upper end of the same to be punctured by the knife edges at the lower ends of the pins 13. This provides air vents in the container 9 and, as the upper end of the same reaches the stop 19, the further upward movement of the handle and frame shears 0E the small supports 10 and causes the knife edge '8 to penetrate the lower end of the container releasing the acid contained therein. The acid thus released flows into and over the several receptacles 17 and, operating simultaneously upon the several quantities of salt contained therein, generates a large volume of gas almost instantaneously. This gas passes out from the cylinder 11 through the valves 14 and the resulting pressure upon the surface of the fire extinguishing liquid in the container 1 forces the same out through the tube 20, which extends to a point near the bottom of the container 1, to the flexible tube 21 upon the exterior of the container, from which the stream is directed from the nozzle 22 upon the fire. l

The cylinder 11 may be readily removed from the container 1 and the acid container 9 removed from the frame for replacement. For this purpose the upper frame 5 is provided with a hinge 23, shown in Fig. 4L, at one side and with suitable engaging projections or latches, such as indicated at 24, engaging the same with the upright members 6. The receptacles 17 are removable from the cylinder 11 for cleaning and re-iilling.

It will thus be seen that a simple 'device is provided by means of which the lire extinguisher becomes instantly operative when required, not only insuring the forcing out of the fire extinguishing liquid but providing for the same being delivered at high pressure from the start. This feature is important and devices of this nature, in which the efficiency of the lire extinguisher in putting out the lire depends to a large degree upon the quickness with which the same may become operative.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention designed without departing from the scope of the appended claims, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative merely of an operative embodiment of my invention and not in a limiting sense.

hat I claim is 1. In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the fire extinguishing fluid, gas generating means comprising an acid container, means for liberating the acid from the container, a plurality of salt receptacles,

and means whereby the liberated acid willy pass from one receptacle, to the other.

2.' In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the fire extinguishing fluid, and gas generating means comprising a container adapted to releasably hold an acid, a plurality of salt -receptacles having acid discharge -openings therein, said receptacles being relatively positioned so that the released acid will How through said openings from one receptacle to the other.

3. In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the fire extinguishing fluid, and gas generating means comprising an acid container, a salt receptacle, a supporting frame in which said acid container is carried, said frame being provided with a knife edge, means for operating said knife edge to cause the same to penetrate thecontainer and release the acid, and means for causing the acid to act on the salt in said salt receptacle.

4. In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a container for kthe fire extinguishing fluid, and gas generating means comprising an acid container, a salt receptacle, a movable supporting frame in whichV said acid container is carried upon small supports attached to said frame, said frame being provided with a knife edge, means for moving said frame and causing said small supports to be sheared off and permitting the knife edge to penetrate the container and release the acid, and means for causing the acid to act on the salt in said salt receptacle.

5. In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the fire extinguishing fluid, and gas generating means comprising an acid container, a salt receptacle, a number of sharp pointed pins positioned over said acid container, a movable supporting frame carrying said acid container, said frame being provided with a knife edge, means for moving said frame to cause said pins to puncture the acid container to provide an air vent and to cause said knife edge to penetrate the same and release the acid, and means for causing the acid to act on the salt in said salt receptacle.

6. In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a. container for the fire extinguishing fluid, a cylinder communicating therewith, and gas generating means positioned in said cylinder comprising an acid container, means for liberating the acid from its container, a plurality of receptacles, and means whereby the liberated acid will pass from one receptacle to the other. 'i

7 In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the fire extinguishing fluid, a removable cylinder lpositioned in said container provided with an outlet valve communicating therewith, and gas generating means positioned in said cylinder comprising a removable acid container, means for liberating the acid from its container, and a plurality of salt receptacles relatively positioned so that the liberated acid will be caused to flow through saidr openings from one receptacle to the other.

8. In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the re extinguishing fluid, and gas generating means comprising a container adapted yto releasably hold an acid, and a plurality of spaced salt receptacles adapted to receive the acid from said container when released.

9. In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the lire extinguishing fluid, and gas generating means comprising a container adapted to releasably hold an acid, and a plurality of salt receptacles positioned relatively to said acid container and to each other so that the released acid will be caused to flow successively to the different receptacles.

10. In a iire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the re extinguishing fluid, and gas generating means comprising a container adapted to releasably hold an acid, and a plurality of salt receptacles located under the said acid container and disposed one above the other. l

11. In a iire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the lire extinguishing fluid, and gas generating means comprising an acid container, means for liberating the acid from the container, a cylindrical member extending downwardly from said container, and a plurality of salt receptacles of substantially equal diameter to the cylindrical member and located one above the other therein, said salt receptacles having acid discharge openings therein, causing the liberated acid to flow successively from the higher receptacle to the lower.

l2. In a re extinguisher, in combination, a container for the fire extinguishing fluid, means for producing a pressure in said fluid container, said means including a second container carried by said fluid container, a supporting frame in which said container is carried, said frame being provided with a cutting member, and means for operating said frame to cause the cutting member to penetrate the container and release the con' tents within the said ire extinguishing fluid container.

13. In a fire extinguisher, in combination, a container for the lire extinguishing fluid, said container being also adapted to hold a salt in position to be acted upon by an acid, an acid container, a supporting frame for said acid container, said frame being provided with a cutting member disposed adj acent the bottom of said acid container, and means for operating said cutting member to cause the same to penetrate the container and release the contents thereof within the said lire extinguishing fluid container.

Signed at New York city, in the county and State of New York, this 23d day of September, 1913.

PETER Gr. MACGREGOR.

Witnesses:

LEWIS J. DooLITTLE, AGNES M. VIKBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

